Arafat's Palm Pilot

Arafat's speech was far too little, and way too late.

(December 19) - If you think you're a busy person, just imagine what Yasser Arafat's Palm Pilot must look like.

More than eight years have passed since Arafat signed the Oslo Accords, in which he renounced the use of violence against Israel. And yet, while that renunciation was a central element of the deal between Israel and the Palestinians, Arafat never managed to find the time in his busy schedule to pass that message on to his people.

Despite repeated requests from successive American and Israeli administrations, Arafat was apparently too preoccupied all these years to deal with such "minor" matters as discouraging the murder of hundreds of innocent Israelis.

Until this week, it seems.

In an address broadcast on Sunday on Palestinian television, Arafat condemned "military activities" against Israelis, and called for an end to suicide bombings. Not only that, but he even said it in Arabic.

So if you are now wondering why his speech was greeted by a round of diplomatic yawns in both Washington and Jerusalem, the answer is really quite simple: It was far too little, and way too late. It was as if Arafat checked the "to-do list" on his Palm Pilot and finally got around to doing what he should have done nearly a decade ago.

Had Arafat delivered the same speech back in 1993, things might have been different.

Had Arafat delivered the same speech back in 1993, had he turned then to the Palestinians with an impassioned plea to put aside their hatred and put down their guns, things might have been different. And had he followed up that speech with action, by disarming and disbanding terrorist groups, shutting down their training camps, closing off their financial pipelines, and arresting their members, the speech itself might have come to be considered a milestone.

But his speech on Sunday was not delivered in 1993 or 1994, or even in 2000.

It was only now, after sensing that his rule may be coming to an end, that Arafat was willing to utter the magic words. As a result of his tardiness, rivers of innocent blood were shed over the past decade.

And one speech, no matter how compelling or forceful it might be, cannot make up for the fact that Arafat has spent the past eight years sending an entirely different message to his people - one of hatred and cruelty. He has repeatedly called for jihad against Israel, lauded suicide bombers as "martyrs" and vowed to liberate Jerusalem.

Unlike Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the American president who reassured his people with "fireside chats" in the 1940s, Arafat has spent the past decade giving the Palestinians "firebomb chats," urging them on to violence and destruction.

Thus, it should hardly come as a surprise that Arafat's attempt at a Sunday sermon was not taken very seriously.

As Prime Minister Ariel Sharon pointed out, there were 17 Palestinian terrorist attacks against Israelis in the 24 hours after Arafat's speech.

These included the firing of mortar rounds against Jewish communities in Gaza, gunfire against Israeli soldiers near Elon Moreh, Shilo, Gush Katif and Ramallah, and grenade attacks near Rafah and Neveh Dekalim. Three Israelis, including a father and his three-year old son, were wounded.

Apparently, the Palestinians had no trouble reading between the lines of Arafat's speech. They heard what he said on Sunday, but they also heard what he did not say. He did not call for an end to the intifada, and he did not mention Hamas or Islamic Jihad. Instead, he mouthed a few platitudes, hoping this would remove some of the American pressure on him to truly clamp down on terror.

Arafat's credibility among Israelis is non-existent, and for that he has only himself to blame.

But the time for words is long past. Eight years ago, the government of Israel put its faith in Arafat's words, but those words only amounted to hundreds of additional Jewish funerals. Arafat's credibility among Israelis is non-existent, and for that he has only himself to blame.

Astonishingly, however, there are still foreign leaders who are naive enough to believe Arafat's declarations. On Monday, a parade of European diplomats paid him a visit in Ramallah, complimenting his speech and fawning over him like devoted fans greeting a television star. With all the kissing and hugging going on, it looked more like an episode of The Dating Game than a diplomatic gathering.

But if Arafat thinks that a batch of European sycophants will rescue his political career, he is gravely mistaken. The people of Israel are tired of being murdered on a daily basis, and they are no longer willing to tolerate the fiction that a serial killer like Arafat should be considered a partner for peace.

So if Arafat is smart, he will take a closer look at that Palm Pilot of his, and clear his schedule a bit. At last, it seems, the batteries are finally about to run out.

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About the Author

The writer served as deputy communications director in the Prime Minister’s Office under former premier Binyamin Netanyahu. He is the founder and Chairman of Shavei Israel (www.shavei.org), a Jerusalem-based group that facilitates the return of the Bnei Menashe and other “lost Jews” to the Jewish people.

Visitor Comments: 2

Unfortunitely, dialogue is his means to perpetuate violence and do nothing. He only understands violence being met with violence.

(1)
susan,
December 21, 2001 12:00 AM

Why did the former American President, Bill Clinton invite Arafat to the White House so much during his terms? I feel I have been betrayed by the government of my country during his terms. My money has gone for the elaborate feasts and entertainment of a mass murderer. May God hear my cry!

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I just got married and have an important question: Can we eat rice on Passover? My wife grew up eating it, and I did not. Is this just a matter of family tradition?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

The Torah instructs a Jew not to eat (or even possess) chametz all seven days of Passover (Exodus 13:3). "Chametz" is defined as any of the five grains (wheat, spelt, barley, oats, and rye) that came into contact with water for more than 18 minutes. Chametz is a serious Torah prohibition, and for that reason we take extra protective measures on Passover to prevent any mistakes.

Hence the category of food called "kitniyot" (sometimes referred to generically as "legumes"). This includes rice, corn, soy beans, string beans, peas, lentils, peanuts, mustard, sesame seeds and poppy seeds. Even though kitniyot cannot technically become chametz, Ashkenazi Jews do not eat them on Passover. Why?

Products of kitniyot often appear like chametz products. For example, it can be hard to distinguish between rice flour (kitniyot) and wheat flour (chametz). Also, chametz grains may become inadvertently mixed together with kitniyot. Therefore, to prevent confusion, all kitniyot were prohibited.

In Jewish law, there is one important distinction between chametz and kitniyot. During Passover, it is forbidden to even have chametz in one's possession (hence the custom of "selling chametz"). Whereas it is permitted to own kitniyot during Passover and even to use it - not for eating - but for things like baby powder which contains cornstarch. Similarly, someone who is sick is allowed to take medicine containing kitniyot.

What about derivatives of kitniyot - e.g. corn oil, peanut oil, etc? This is a difference of opinion. Many will use kitniyot-based oils on Passover, while others are strict and only use olive or walnut oil.

Finally, there is one product called "quinoa" (pronounced "ken-wah" or "kin-o-ah") that is permitted on Passover even for Ashkenazim. Although it resembles a grain, it is technically a grass, and was never included in the prohibition against kitniyot. It is prepared like rice and has a very high protein content. (It's excellent in "cholent" stew!) In the United States and elsewhere, mainstream kosher supervision agencies certify it "Kosher for Passover" -- look for the label.

Interestingly, the Sefardi Jewish community does not have a prohibition against kitniyot. This creates the strange situation, for example, where one family could be eating rice on Passover - when their neighbors will not. So am I going to guess here that you are Ashkenazi and your wife is Sefardi. Am I right?

Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Moses ben Nachman (1194-1270), known as Nachmanides, and by the acronym of his name, Ramban. Born in Spain, he was a physician by trade, but was best-known for authoring brilliant commentaries on the Bible, Talmud, and philosophy. In 1263, King James of Spain authorized a disputation (religious debate) between Nachmanides and a Jewish convert to Christianity, Pablo Christiani. Nachmanides reluctantly agreed to take part, only after being assured by the king that he would have full freedom of expression. Nachmanides won the debate, which earned the king's respect and a prize of 300 gold coins. But this incensed the Church: Nachmanides was charged with blasphemy and he was forced to flee Spain. So at age 72, Nachmanides moved to Jerusalem. He was struck by the desolation in the Holy City -- there were so few Jews that he could not even find a minyan to pray. Nachmanides immediately set about rebuilding the Jewish community. The Ramban Synagogue stands today in Jerusalem's Old City, a living testimony to his efforts.

It's easy to be intimidated by mean people. See through their mask. Underneath is an insecure and unhappy person. They are alienated from others because they are alienated from themselves.

Have compassion for them. Not pity, not condemning, not fear, but compassion. Feel for their suffering. Identify with their core humanity. You might be able to influence them for the good. You might not. Either way your compassion frees you from their destructiveness. And if you would like to help them change, compassion gives you a chance to succeed.

It is the nature of a person to be influenced by his fellows and comrades (Rambam, Hil. De'os 6:1).

We can never escape the influence of our environment. Our life-style impacts upon us and, as if by osmosis, penetrates our skin and becomes part of us.

Our environment today is thoroughly computerized. Computer intelligence is no longer a science-fiction fantasy, but an everyday occurrence. Some computers can even carry out complete interviews. The computer asks questions, receives answers, interprets these answers, and uses its newly acquired information to ask new questions.

Still, while computers may be able to think, they cannot feel. The uniqueness of human beings is therefore no longer in their intellect, but in their emotions.

We must be extremely careful not to allow ourselves to become human computers that are devoid of feelings. Our culture is in danger of losing this essential aspect of humanity, remaining only with intellect. Because we communicate so much with unfeeling computers, we are in danger of becoming disconnected from our own feelings and oblivious to the feelings of others.

As we check in at our jobs, and the computer on our desk greets us with, "Good morning, Mr. Smith. Today is Wednesday, and here is the agenda for today," let us remember that this machine may indeed be brilliant, but it cannot laugh or cry. It cannot be happy if we succeed, or sad if we fail.

Today I shall...

try to remain a human being in every way - by keeping in touch with my own feelings and being sensitive to the feelings of others.

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